garage
garage
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "garage" is:
/ɡəˈrɑːʒ/ (British English)
/ɡəˈrɑːʒ/ or /ɡəˈrædʒ/ (American English)
First syllable: /ɡə/
/ɡ/: voiced velar stop (like the "g" in "go")
/ə/: schwa, a mid-central vowel (like the "a" in "sofa")
Second syllable: /rɑːʒ/
/r/: voiced alveolar approximant (like the "r" in "red")
/ɑː/: open back unrounded vowel (like the "a" in "father")
/ʒ/: voiced postalveolar fricative (like the "s" in "measure" or "vision")
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: garage
Plural Noun: garages
Verb (base form): garage
Verb (third-person singular simple present): garages
Verb (present participle): garaging
Verb (simple past and past participle): garaged
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: A building or part of a building, typically attached to a house, used for parking a vehicle or vehicles.
Synonyms: carport, car shed, coach house (archaic), parking structure (for larger, multi-level garages)
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms, as it describes a specific type of building. One might consider "driveway" or "street" as places where a car might be parked not in a garage, but they are not true antonyms of the structure itself.)
Definition 2: A commercial establishment where motor vehicles are repaired, serviced, or stored for a fee.
Synonyms: auto shop, service station, repair shop, workshop (for general repairs)
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms, as it describes a type of business.)
Verb
Definition 1: To park or store a vehicle in a garage.
Synonyms: park, house (a vehicle), store, shelter
Antonyms: unpark, remove (from a garage), drive out
Examples of Use
Books: "He paused, key in hand, before the sturdy oak door that led from the kitchen to the garage, where his vintage Mustang awaited." (From a fictional novel, illustrating the common use of a garage for car storage.)
Newspapers: "The city council approved plans for a new multi-story parking garage downtown, aiming to alleviate the chronic parking shortage." (The Daily Herald, July 2024)
Online Publications: "How to Transform Your Cluttered Garage into a Functional Workspace" (From a home improvement blog, House & Home Decor, March 2025)
Entertainment Mediums (Film): In the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off, the famous scene where the titular character and his friends try to reverse mileage off a car prominently features a garage as the setting for their antics.
Entertainment Mediums (Television): "Welcome to my garage studio, where all the magic happens!" (From a YouTube vlogger showcasing their creative workspace, January 2025)
Entertainment Platforms (Music): "It's a classic garage rock sound, raw and energetic, reminiscent of bands from the 60s." (From a music critic reviewing an album on Pitchfork, May 2025)
General Public Discourse: "I spent all weekend cleaning out the garage; you wouldn't believe how much stuff had accumulated in there." (A common remark heard in everyday conversation.)
General Public Discourse: "My car's been acting up, so I'm taking it to the garage tomorrow morning to get it checked out." (A casual statement referring to a commercial auto repair shop.)
10 Quotes Using Garage
"The garage is often the last frontier of home organization."
"My first band started in a garage, like many do."
"You can tell a lot about a person by the state of their garage."
"Innovation often begins in a small garage with big ideas."
"I treat my garage like a sacred space for my tools and projects."
"The smell of oil and old wood in the garage always brings back memories."
"He spent more time in the garage than in the house."
"Every great invention seems to have a garage as its birthplace."
"The hidden treasures of a home are often found in the garage."
"A messy garage can be a sign of a creative mind."
Etymology
The word "garage" comes to English from French. It's a fairly modern word in English, only appearing around the time cars became popular.
Origin: The French word for "garage" is garage. This French word comes from the verb garer, which means "to shelter," "to keep under cover," or "to dock" (like a boat).
Deeper Roots: The French word garer itself can be traced back to older Germanic languages, like Old Frankish (warjan) and Old Norse (vara), which had meanings related to "to guard," "to protect," or "to warn." So, the idea of "sheltering" or "protecting" something has been at the core of this word's ancestors for a very long time.
First Known Use and Meaning in English: The first recorded use of "garage" in English was in 1902. At that time, its meaning was specifically for a "shelter or repair shop for automotive vehicles." Before "garage" caught on, people often used terms like "motor house" for buildings where cars were kept. As cars became more common, the need for a specific word for their housing and repair shops grew, and "garage" was adopted from French to fill that need.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Garage
Garage sale: A sale of used household items, often held in a garage.
Garage band: A musical group, typically rock or punk, that practices in a garage.
Garage door opener: A device used to open and close a garage door automatically.
In the garage: (Literal) Referring to a vehicle being parked or stored inside a garage.
Home garage: Referring to a private garage at a residence.
Commercial garage: Referring to a business that services or stores vehicles.
To clear out the garage: To organize and remove clutter from a garage.
A garage full of ideas: (Original) Denotes a mind brimming with creative concepts, much like a garage can be filled with various projects.
The garage is my sanctuary: (Original) Expresses that the garage is a personal space for hobbies or quiet work.
Back to the garage: (Original) Suggests a return to the basics or a fundamental starting point, akin to a band going back to their humble beginnings.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of garage from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
